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It seems like my only answer, lately, when people ask what I've been doing has been "work." To which people often respond "I'm never really sure what you do." So I thought it would add clarity to get it all written down:

- Regular clients: I have five regular clients — Circus Juventas, Open Eye Figure Theatre, the MN State Council of SEIU, the Mental Health Association of MN, and the Macalester-Groveland Community Council. For each of these organizations, I go in 1-2 time a week for a few hours at a time, generally solving their business management needs. This ranges from the basic needs, like accounting, budgets and payroll, to audit prep, to human resources, to all kinds of things like solving sales tax exemption, clearing up invoices, correcting wrong invoices, insurance needs, workers comp audits, and the like.

- Strategic planning: I'm currently working with the Rosemount Area Arts Council, the Arts Consortium of Carver County, and the Dakota Coun…

1) Old Navy is collecting old flip-flops starting tomorrow to recycle into playground mulch. Since I hate flip-flops and think they signify all that's wrong with America, I highly endorse this effort.

2) Lots of places are giving away free coffee when you bring in your travel mug. Caribou and Starbuck's are the usual suspects, but you had better not get in the way of my salted caramel latte at Common Roots.

3) Origins is letting you trade in your old cleanser for their stuff, and the Disney Store is giving away free carry bags if you turn in 5 plastic ones.

4) I am not telling Beatrix about Earth Day yet, because she goes nuts for holidays. However, we are at loose ends tomorrow night because Patrick is at some media event, so I suppose we'll have to find a way to celebrate...

Lovely date night tonight at Blackbird (first time since they re-opened), and then to see Week 3 of It's Women's Work at Open Eye. Blew me away.

Zhauna's work has captivated me since I first saw her with the Dolls, some 20+ years ago. She's the kind of performer who pulls you in to the piece, to take an active role in experiencing it. Distinctive as her aesthetic is. she has not had as many chances as she likely should have to create her own work, and we talked about that, and her vision for this piece, a few weeks back at an Open Eye event. Granted, I don't see enough dance to begin with, but tonight's piece was one of the more compelling artistic experiences I have had in some time. Each time I close my eyes they are filled with images and with power.

Go see it. Saturday at 8 and Sunday at 7 at Open Eye — reserve tickets now, because tonight was full and once word gets out, it will get fuller.

This post is part of The Week of Understanding, which has already taught me a lot about putting myself in someone else's shoes.

When I was fourteen, I realized I didn't want to be a mother. I had a summer "mother's helper" kind of job in which I cared for two young children, and much as I loved them, I was very happy to turn them over to their mother at night. In college, I remember my friend Fran sprawled out studying with he, with her head on my stomach, exclaiming "I have never heard a more barren womb!" My career and lifestyle — lots of long and irregular hours, nightly events, a house filled with hazards, world travel — were in no way child-oriented. We had a lot of friends who were childless by choice, and many more whom, though I enjoyed being with their kids, I felt that same relief at the end of the night.

And then, all in a breath, my life changed. I was no longer at the demanding job that had defined my life for the last decade, my marriage end…